AALL Spectrum | September/October 2016 | Volume 21, Number 1

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38 AALL SPECTRUM | WWW.AALLNET.ORG
EDUCATION
Outsourcing
Law Libraries
13 Strategies for Making Your Law Library Less Vulnerable
L
aw rms want to lower
their overhead to compete
more eectively for both
lateral talent and to attract
and retain clients. Lower
overhead contributes to
higher prots per partner, which in
turn makes the rm more attractive to
lateral talent with signicant "books
of business." Lower overhead is also
BY JEAN P. O'GRADY
The use of consultants in law firms is by no means new. The twenty-first century
legal environment has created new economic pressures that drive an increased
scrutiny on all aspects of law firm administration. In law firms, the areas with the
highest administrative costs are real estate and sta¦ng. Traditional law libraries,
which require a large physical footprint and high numbers of clerical sta to
maintain print collections, are particularly attractive targets for outsourcing.
attractive to clients who are demand-
ing that law rms have "lean" and
ecient operations, in order to oer
exible pricing and special discounts.
Alternative fee arrangements require
new processes and new eciencies
that can be delivered through knowl-
edge management initiatives and the
introduction of machine learning and
augmented intelligence technologies.